CAMP CHIRICAHUA
JULY 11-22, 2007
LEADERS:
ROB DAY AND DAVE JASPER
COUNSELOR: LIA SANSOM
COMPILED BY: ROB DAY
VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC.
2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003
AUSTIN, TX 78746
WWW.VENTBIRD.COM
CAMP CHIRICAHUA
July 11-22, 2007
Tour Leaders: Rob Day and Dave Jasper
Counselor: Lia Sansom
There they were, in the crystal morning light, rising like a massive blue island from the sea of the
desert…And like islands, their climate, plants, their animals are as different from those of their
surroundings as though they were isolated by the sea.
. . . . each one also has its own personality, its specialties not shared with its neighbors; that is
why…(they) capture the imagination of field biologists.
ROGER TORY PETERSON, Wild America, 1955
This camp, perhaps more so than the rest, made me remember…
• Page 176 in the 1966 first edition of Birds of North America (retail price $2.95 at the time; eagerly
purchased with my allowance money in the 6th grade)—the Southwest Hummingbirds page,
lavished with illustrations of Lucifer, Rivoli’s (now Magnificent), Blue-throated, and White-eared
Hummingbirds…
• UC Santa Barbara 1978; the Biology of Terrestrial Arthropods, a much-anticipated required course
for a zoology major—I remember the stunning insect collections assembled by graduate students;
the spoils of dream field-trips where only the elect could accompany the professor. Long before
biologist E. O. Wilson would create the term and paradigm biodiversity, I remember the
overwhelming variety of form, and the dazzling coloration and iridescence showcased in a
particular collection where many specimens bore data and identification labels marked
Chiricahuas…
I recall these episodes, both the stuff of a young naturalist’s dreams, because I first visited Southeast
Arizona with this awareness of the special nature of the “sky islands” already in place.
The participants enrolled in Camp Chiricahua 2007 arrived armed with an impressive depth and
breadth of prior knowledge and an eagerness and enthusiasm to match. Binoculars never drooped;
energy and enthusiasm blazed from daybreak to well beyond dusk every day. Most impressive was the
participants’ desire to see and know everything we encountered in the field. While bird lists were
important, each day was seen as a feast of plants, mammals, reptiles, and insects, as well as the desired
birds of the Southwest and those restricted to the borderlands habitats of Southeast Arizona. I can
genuinely say, and know co-leader Dave Jasper will concur, that the participants on Camp Chiricahua
2007 were among the finest young naturalists with whom we have had the pleasure to share Southeast
Arizona since we started leading the camp together in 1994.
The Chiricahuas played out their many personas during our stay: iron desert heat followed by walls of
cooling rain in the high country, bristling rock spires painted in pastels of lichen, desert scrub hillsides
in dazzling light above, and leaves underfoot in cool canyon-bottom woodlands. We watched an
Elegant Trogon pair in a border dispute with another male, and savored studies of individual birds
farther up the trail. Mixed-species flocks allowed us many fine looks at target birds: eye level studies
of Sulfur-bellied Flycatcher, Olive Warbler, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, and Arizona Woodpecker, often
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permitting wonderful digital portraits. Raptors were well-represented with scope views of perched
Northern (Apache) Goshawk, an in-flight comparison of Short-tailed and Red-tailed hawks soaring
above us in the open near Barfoot Junction, and a Zone-tailed Hawk in flight just above the treetops.
Dave Jasper teased coy night birds into the open for many stunning looks at target species: Western
and Whiskered screech-owls, Flammulated and Elf owls, and a wonderful study of a Common
Poorwill (perched incredibly on top of a blooming agave). Spotted Owl fledglings, just independent of
the nest, appeared huge when seen close and at length as dusk waned on South Fork Road. We took
our time and studied the spectacularly large local race of Red Crossbills going unhurriedly about the
business of feeding in the conifers at eye level, the territorial drama of courting Yarrow’s spiny lizard
males in resplendent colors atop Barfoot Lookout, color variation among Slevin’s bunchgrass lizards
(including excellent in-the-hand observations thanks to Haynes Warner), and the diversity of
wildflowers and their menagerie of pollinators in mountain rock gardens.
I came to learn that worthwhile observations of birds and animals and insects were great in
proportion to the smallness of the territory covered…To be a good naturalist one must be a stroller
or a creeper…never a traveler.
WILLIAM BEEBE, Nonsuch: Land of Water, 1932
The Crescent-chested Warbler is an endemic of highland oak and oak-pine woodlands of the Interior
Highlands of northern Central America. We took our time; the morning’s itinerary included a leisurely
loop around Silver Peak, condensing habitats from desert scrub to juniper woodland, to pine-oak
woodland, to coniferous and riparian forest. After an early morning of relatively “slow” birding we
reached the Turkey Creek junction on Paradise Road, hoping to see the bird. A tip from visiting birders
from Germany the day before: a female Crescent-chested Warbler feeding young at the Turkey Creek
ford where coniferous forest and oak woodland meet. The bird was surprisingly easy to find (thanks to
the vigilance of David Whipple, aka D’whip). A careful study of the bird was granted us as it foraged
unconcerned along conifer and oak branches about 20 feet above the ground. Digital photographs and
much discussion followed, as did a visit to the Southwestern Research Station nature store where the
plates in Mexican bird guides were carefully scrutinized.
While the Chiricahuas were a study of extremes, the Huachucas were serene (or maybe it was the
always pleasant stay we enjoyed at the San Pedro River Inn, thanks to Walt Kolbe). The grounds of the
San Pedro River Inn were reliably “birdy” with kaleidoscopic Vermilion Flycatchers, Gilded Flickers,
Blue Grosbeaks, and Common Yellowthroats, and evening flights of Lesser Nighthawks, Tropical
Kingbirds, and Barn and Great Horned owls on roost. With the inn as our base, we explored the San
Pedro River and canyons of the Huachucas. A morning at Miller Canyon included a relentlessly steep
hike up the canyon filled with morning bird song; mixed-species flocks to sort; a beautiful rock
rattlesnake for participants who strolled their way back down the canyon; and the best studies of the
fanning behavior of foraging Painted Redstarts and Red-faced Warblers had during the camp (I
maintain that they are more brightly-colored here than those in the Chiricahuas). In spite of
frustratingly low numbers, we managed to see most of the target hummingbirds: splendid Magnificent,
Blue-throated, and White-eared hummingbirds displaying the nuances of their iridescence at Beatty’s
upper feeders, and a too-brief look at Berylline Hummingbird at Ramsey Canyon. An alarmingly
magnificent thunderstorm, the most splendidly-colored black-tailed rattlesnake I have ever seen,
sorting out the Gila, Sonoran, Chihuahuan whiptail complex, and returning to the inn each evening to
savor the day’s sightings after a tasty dinner made our stay here pass too quickly.
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Our last day in the field was much more than a return trip to Tucson, with stops at the Patagonia
roadside rest, Patagonia Lake, Kino Springs, and Miller Canyon in the Santa Ritas. Our rewards
included scope views of Thick-billed Kingbird at the roadside rest, and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo
feasting on tent caterpillars at Patagonia Lake; the aptly-named elegant earless-lizard in its thorn-scrub
habitat; a male Varied Bunting feeding on the ground, allowing a full review of its unique coloration; a
Rufous-winged Sparrow hanging-on in fragmented habitat below Miller Canyon; and Montezuma
Quail crossing the road below the Santa Rita Lodge. As daylight faded into the colors of sunset and an
evolving thunderstorm, male Varied Buntings mounted perches to sing defiantly in splendid thorn-
scrub habitat along Proctor Road as thunder growled and curtains of rain muted the hard profile of
Elephant Head spire. I was once again reminded why you are never “done” birding in the “sky islands”
of Southeast Arizona: each visit doesn’t really have an ending, tempting and taunting instead with last-
minute surprises and under-explored habitats, and the promise of still more discoveries to be had. I
know the participants of Camp Chiricahua 2007 will agree.
ITINERARY
July 11th, 2007: With minimal delays and no lost baggage, all campers arrive in Tucson. A PM birding
excursion to Sweetwater Wetlands, followed by dinner, and introductions and camp orientation back at the hotel
complete the day.
July 12th, 2007: An early departure to the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum follows a hearty breakfast at the
hotel. Here the group is introduced to the plants, reptiles, and birds particular to the Upland division of the
Sonoran Desert. We tour the museum in small groups based on where our interests lead us. Much attention is
paid to the hummingbird aviary and pollinator garden. Reassembled, the whole group returns to the hotel where
our vans are quickly packed for a travel day to the Chiricahuas. Once on the road, we stop in Wilcox for lunch,
expedition shopping, and a birding stop at the water reclamation ponds for shorebirds. Amid the wind and dust
of a tropical disturbance to the South, we rattle down the San Simon road, reaching Portal in time to pitch tents
at Roth’s house followed by dinner at the Portal Store.
July 13th, 2007: Morning is spent exploring the Chihuahuan desert scrub and arid grasslands of the San Simon
Valley from Portal to the hamlet of Rodeo in New Mexico. Bendire’s Thrasher in the scope, a Barn Owl, and
Greater Roadrunners with brilliantly pigmented facial skin, subtle iridescence on long expressive tails, and
bushy crests betraying predatory emotions as prey is caught and dispatched while we watch punctuate the
morning. A stop at Big Thicket for birds of the mesquite desert scrub and riparian interface at Dave’s house
brings us back to Roth’s house for a well deserved lunch. In the afternoon we visit the South West Research
Station and main fork of Cave Creek for Montezuma Quail (!) from the road, an Apache Goshawk in the scope,
Buff-breasted Flycatchers, and mixed-species flocks. Night-birding follows dinner at Roth’s house.
July 14th, 2007: In the morning, the South Fork trail is a respite from yesterday’s heat, soft light, and the
barking of Elegant Trogons. A skirmish between males, one unmated, permits us quick looks; craning around
branches to glimpse that geranium red, and the coppery tail of the males, and the more subtle tones of a female.
Just up the trail a male Trogon allows the entire group a superb study, and our appetite for Elegant Trogons is
satiated. For the remainder of the hike we sort through mixed-species flocks for Arizona Woodpecker, Sulfur-
bellied and Dusky Flycatchers, and Grace’s Warblers and Painted Redstarts. Following a hearty buffet lunch
back at Roth’s house, we visit Barney Tomberlin in the afternoon for a deeper appreciation of reptiles and desert
invertebrates. Dinner at the Portal Store donated by Dave’s friend Penny fortifies us for another night-birding
adventure.
July 15th, 2007: The day begins with a grand loop around Silver Peak, from Portal to Paradise and back to
Portal, where we bird the desert scrub, riparian woodland, juniper woodland interface along Paradise road.
Uphill from Paradise and a slow morning at the George Walker House for hummingbirds, we see our first
mountain birds at the East Turkey Creek crossing. The group is absolutely grim with expectation; we are here
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based on a lead from birders that claimed to have seen a Crescent-chested Warbler feeding young the day
before. After a startlingly brief search, thanks to D’whip, we spot the bird, and are afforded a lengthy study
permitting photography. After decompressing and pouring over the plates in all the bird guides at the SWRS
book store, we return to Roth’s house for lunch. We spend the afternoon birding South Fork road, following the
short hike to Visa Point for a final view of the majesty of South Fork. Night-birding follows dinner at Roth’s
house, where we repack for our departure for the high country the next day before turning-in.
July 16th, 2007: This morning the vans are loaded, and we negotiate the road to Rustler Park. After setting up
camp, and lunch at our campsite, we make a short excursion to an overlook above Barfoot Junction for Short-
tailed hawk, Greater Pewee, Slevin’s Bunch Grass Lizards, and our first Olive Warblers. We watch in awe as
ridges bristling with rock spires above canyon abysses are obliterated by curtains of rain crawling with lightning
as a weather system from Mexico creeps northwards. Blasts of cold air, the smell of desert rain, and that one
alarming peal of thunder send us back to the vans. We are granted just enough time for dinner before the driving
rain of a spectacular thunderstorm forces us to retire to our tents for the night.
July 17th, 2007: This was the finest day I have ever had at Rustler Park. We hiked to Barfoot Lookout under a
flawless blue sky devoid of clouds for a stupendous view of all of South East Arizona; from Sonora Mexico, to
the Huachucas and distant Santa Ritas. Our time on the peak included thousands of “hill-topping” ladybird
beetles, Bonsai-like rock gardens of Eriogonum and Crassula alive with insect pollinators, and a lengthy
territorial dispute between three stunningly pigmented male Yarrow’s Spiny Lizards that lent itself to the
deciphering of the subtleties of reptile communication and shameless anthropomorphism as we debated which
male would emerge as champion. Dissecting mixed-species flocks, a particularly stunning male Olive Warbler,
highland dragonflies and butterflies, and a galaxy of upland wildflowers filled the hike back to camp for lunch.
An afternoon hike took us on a loop along the ridge-crest above Rustler Park to a secret redoubt of Rocky
Mountain wildflowers, a glimpse of Hairy Woodpecker domesticity, and a superb eye-level study of a mixed-
gender flock of the truly gigantic race of Red Crossbill that occurs here, foraging undisturbed and showcasing
their exceptionally massive bills in use. An encounter with Flammulated Owl followed a satisfying dinner. We
finished the day with a camp fire (where the girls bested the boys in woodsman ship) under a starry mountain
sky.
July 18th, 2007: Allowing ourselves the luxury of sleeping-in, we break camp and depart the Chiricahuas via
Pinery Canyon. Following a stop for water birds at Whitewater Draw, we pass through Bisbee for lunch and re-
supply in Sierra Vista. We reach the serenity of the San Pedro River Inn for big skies and soft beds and sit-down
group dinners and new birds.
July 19th, 2007: Our morning is devoted to exploring the San Pedro River on foot based out of the San Pedro
House. Common Ground Doves, flashy male Vermillion Flycatchers and a perched Grey Hawk in the scope,
Yellow-breasted Chats and Summer Tanagers and Blue Grosbeaks, and new insects and reptiles pepper the hike.
Lunch back at the San Pedro River Inn is followed by an afternoon hummingbird excursion to Ramsey and Ash
Canyons. Some of us are rewarded for our patience with the brief green and rufous of a Beryline Hummingbird
at the Ramsey Canyon Bed and Breakfast feeders; hummingbirds are in alarmingly low numbers this year and
we must work hard to see important species. We return to the San Pedro River Inn for late afternoon birding and
dinner.
July 20th, 2007: A steep, though very “birdy” hike up Miller Canyon fills our morning. We study mixed-species
flocks knowing we will soon leave the “Sky Islands”; savoring resplendent Red-faced Warblers, the foraging
antics of crisply attired Painted Redstarts, Hepatic Tanager pairs, a soaring Zone-tailed Hawk, and the endemic
Rock Rattlesnake for those taking their time on the return hike. Our time spent at the upper feeders at Beatty’s is
rewarded with spectacular hummingbird studies, including positively glowing male Magnificent Hummingbirds,
and an incredibly cooperative White-eared Hummingbird. Our afternoon foray is a return to Ramsey and Ash
Canyon, where hummingbirds continue to be alarmingly scarce in numbers and diversity. Ominous skies mark
our late return to San Pedro River Inn. As we near the Inn, another weather system from the south rears-up in
truly malevolent splendor above the Mule Mountains, with lightning of Jovian intensity and spouting funnel
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clouds along its ponderously wide leading edge. In one of the most incredible thunderstorms I’ve seen, the
roiling brown and purple squall-line of the weather system rolls overhead with twin rainbows followed by a wall
of rain and wind and cold that turns day to night and litters the ground the following morning with a carpet of
torn leaves, branches, and bird nests.
July 21st, 2007: We depart the San Pedro River Inn early today for a final full day of epic birding before our
return to Tucson. Our first stop is the Patagonia Roadside Rest, where evidence of the previous night’s storm
litters the ground around us. Scope views of Thick-billed Kingbird and a spectacular male Varied Bunting
foraging on the ground in front of the whole group defy the carnage of the previous evening’s weather around
us. Patagonia Lake fails to yield Black-capped Gnatcatcher, though rewards us with scope views of a Yellow-
billed Cuckoo eating tent caterpillars, and a remarkably patterned Elegant Earless Lizard. Kino Springs produces
a fine study of Grey Hawk. The desert flats below Madera Canyon give us Rufous-winged Sparrow. Our vigil
for Flame-colored Tanager in Madera canyon is fruitless, as is our final attempt for Black-capped Gnatcatcher
on Proctor road. Here we must be content with alluring thorn scrub habitat alive with bird sound, where Varied
Buntings sing from exposed perches in splendid evening light as yet another storm builds, and curtains of rain
and the growl of thunder threaten, and the rock spire of Elephants Head glints gold in late evening light. We
arrive late in Tucson for our final group dinner, and trip list courtesy of Lia.
July 22nd, 2007: Our adventure complete, campers depart Tucson for home.
BIRD LIST
Ducks (Anatidae)
Mallard (Anas platyrhyncos)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera)
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
New World Quail (Odontophoridae)
Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata)
Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii)
Montezuma Quail (Cyrtonix montezumae)
(Eventually seen by just about all of the group; our first sighting by Rob’s van in the Chiricahuas in
appropriate habitat near the Southwest Research Station, and by Dave’s van in the Santa Ritas in similar
habitat near Santa Rita Lodge.)
Grebes (Podicipididae)
Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)
Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae)
Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Herons and Egrets (Ardeidae)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
New World Vultures (Cathartidae)
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
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Hawks and Eagles (Accipitidae)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Northern (Apache) Goshawk (Accipiter gentiles)
(Excellent scope studies of a juvenile bird in upper Cave Creek Canyon, where tour leaders Rob and Dave
were introduced to the world of digiscoping by D’whip.)
Grey Hawk (Asturina nitidia)
(Studied in the scope at the San Pedro River thanks to Oliver. A fine study of a soaring bird being
mobbed by Kingbirds and Swallows at Kino Springs.)
Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)
Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus)
(Wonderful study of a soaring light morph bird with Red-tailed Hawks above our lookout near Bar Foot
Junction in the Chiricahuas.)
Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)
Zone-tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotatus)
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Falcons (Falconidae)
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus)
Rails, Coots, and Gallinules (Rallidae)
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
American Coot (Fulica americana)
Plovers (Charadriidae)
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous)
Avocets and Stilts (Recurvirostridea)
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
Sandpipers and allies (Scolopacidae)
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)
Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
Baird’s Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii)
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)
Wilson’s Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)
Gulls and Terns (Laridae)
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla)
Franklin’s Gull (Larus pipixcan)
Doves and Pigeons (Columbidae)
Rock Pigeon (I) (Columba livia)
Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata)
Eurasian Collared-Dove (I) (Streptopelia decaocto)
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White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
Mouning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Inca Dove (Columbina inca)
Common Ground-Dove (Columbina passerina)
Cuckoos (Cuculidae)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californicus)
Barn Owls (Tytonidae)
Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Typical Owls (Strigidae)
Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus)
(Seen well at Rustler Park.)
Western Screech-Owl (Megascops kennicottii)
Whiskered Screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis)
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi)
Spotted Owl (Srtix occidentalis)
(Stunning close views of juvenile birds at eye level along South Fork road.)
Nightjars and allies (Caprimulgidae)
Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis)
Common Poowill (Phalaenoptilus nutalli)
(Perched atop an agave inflorescence along Paradise road!)
Whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus vociferous) (heard only)
Swifts (Apodidae)
White-throated Swift (Aeronautes saxatalis)
Hummingbirds (Trochillidae)
Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cyanthus latirostris)
(This bird has expanded its range considerably since I began birding in SE Arizona over 25 years ago.
Once restricted as a common specialty hummingbird only in the Santa Rita Mountains in Madera
Canyon, it is now regularly seen in virtually all of the SE Arizona “sky islands”.)
White-eared Hummingbird ((Hylocharis leucotis)
(A splendid and very cooperative adult male allowing long studies and photography at the upper feeders
at Beatty’s in Miller canyon. The group had wonderful looks at the bird’s purple and green iridescence
that can be difficult to observe on this species.)
Violet-crowned Hummingbird (Amazilia violiceps)
Berylline Hummingbird (Amazilia beryllina)
(Patience was eventually rewarded as this species finally gave some of us a quick look at the upper
feeders at the Ramsey Canyon B & B.)
Blue-throated Hummingbird (Lampornis clemenciae)
Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens)
(Magnificent in good light, as always.)
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
Costa’s Hummingbird (Calypte costae)
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)
Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)
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Trogons (Trogonidae)
Elegant Trogon (Trogon elegans)
(Two adult males were heard immediately upon exiting the vans in South Fork, where we had several
quick looks at an adult male and female involved in a territorial dispute with an un-mated male. Just up
the trail we enjoyed a fine study of an adult male and juvenile bird, allowing more leisurely looks.)
Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris)
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides vilosis)
Arizona Woodpecker (Picoides arizonae)
(This bird was very conspicuous this year; seen repeatedly and well in a variety of locations.)
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
Guilded Flicker (Colaptes chrysoides)
Tyrant Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (Camptostoma imberbe) (heard only)
Greater Pewee (Contopus pertinax)
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus)
Cordilleran Flycatcher (Empidonax occidetalis)
Buff-breasted Flycatcher (Empidonax fulvifrons)
(Nice studies of a responsive bird above the SW Research Station in Cave Creek; also see in better light
in a mixed-species flock responding to N Pygmy Owl vocalizations.)
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya)
Vermillion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus)
(Wow! Many splendid views in the scope along the San Pedro.)
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer)
Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cierascens)
Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus)
Sulfur-bellied Flycatcher (Myiodynastes lutiventris)
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus)
Cassin’s Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans)
Thick-billed Kingbird (Tyrannus crassirostrus)
(Splendid scope studies at Patagonia Roadside Rest)
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalus)
Shrikes (Laniidae)
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
Vireos and allies (Vireonidae)
Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii)
Plumbeous Vireo (Vireo plumbeus)
Hutton’s Vireo (Vireo huttoni)
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)
Crows and Jays (Corvidae)
Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma ultramarina)
Chihuahuan Raven (Corvus cryptoleucus)
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
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Larks (Alaudidae)
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
Swallows (Hirundinidae)
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrronota)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Chickadees and Titmice (Paridae)
Mexican Chickadee (Poecile sclateri)
Bridled Titmouse (Baeolophus wollweberi)
Juniper Titmouse (Baeolophus ridgwayi)
Verdin (Remizidae)
Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps)
Bushtit (Aegithalidae)
Bustit (Psaltriparus minimus)
Nuthatches (Sittidae)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea)
Wrens (Troglodytidae)
Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)
Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus)
Canyon Wren (Caterpes mexicanus)
Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
Gnatcatchers (Sylviidae)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (Polioptila melanura)
Thrushes and allies (Turdidae)
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Mockingbirds and Thrashers (Mimidae)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Bendire’s Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei)
Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre)
Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale)
Starlings (Sturnidae)
European Starling (I) (Sturnus vulgaris)
Wagtails and Pipits (Moticillidae)
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)
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Sliky-Flycatchers (Ptilogonatidae)
Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens)
Olive Warbler (Peucedramiidae)
Olive Warbler (Peucedramus taeniatus)
(Eye-level studies of splendid males on our Bar Foot Lookout hike.)
New World warblers (Parulidae)
Virginia’s Warbler (Vermivora virginiae)
Lucy’s warbler (Vermivora luciae)
Crescent-chested Warbler (Parula supersciliosa)
(The bird of the trip. Following the lead of a birding couple from Germany, and a leisurely AM transect
of Paradise road, D’whip found the bird for us at the East Turkey Creek crossing above Paradise. We
enjoyed excellent looks (the bird easily photographed) from 20 to 30 feet up as the bird unhurriedly
foraged in a scattered mixed-species flock. All the field marks of an adult female plumaged bird were
carefully noted (broad white eye-brow, olive-green back, the crescent for which the species is named
reduced to a faint orange wash on the yellow breast). While not observed by our group, the bird was
seen feeding young by the couple that initially located it.)
Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia)
Black-throated Gray Warbler (Dendroica nigriscens)
Grace’s Warbler (Dendroica graciae)
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
Red-faced Warbler (Cardellina rubifrons)
(Exceptionally colorful adults enjoyed by all on our AM Miller Canyon hike. Seen well by the group in
the Chiricahuas also.)
Painted Redstart (Myioborus pictus)
(A pleasure to observe as it showcased its animated foraging antics in the Chiricahuas and Huachucas.)
Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens)
Tanagers (Thraupidae)
Hepatic Tanager (Piranga flava)
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)
Buntings, Sparrows, and allies (Emberizidae)
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculates)
Canyon Towhee (Pipilo fuscus)
Abert’s Towhee (Pipilo aberti)
Rufous-winged Sparrow (Aimophila carpalis)
Botteri’s Sparrow (Aimophila botteri)
Black-chinned Sparrow (Spizella atrogularis)
Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata)
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
Yellow-eyed Junco (Junco phaeonatus)
Saltators, Cardinals, and Buntings (Cardinalidae)
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus)
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheuticus melanocephalus)
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)
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Varied Bunting (Passerina versicolor)
(Seen stunningly well foraging on the ground at Patagonia Roadside Rest, and as a grand finale multiple
males singing energetically from exposed perches in defiance of an approaching thunderstorm in
Madera Creek at Proctor road our last birding stop before returning to Tucson.)
Blackbirds and allies (Icteridae)
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)
Great-tailed Grackle (Quisicalus mexicanus)
Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus)
(With patience, the Bird-of-Paradise full display of the male is something truly remarkable to observe.)
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus)
Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii)
Scott’s Oriole (Icterus parisorum)
Finches (Fringillidae)
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)
(We had two occasions for exceptional studies of this largest morph of the Red Crossbill super-species.
It was a real pleasure pausing to observe the feeding behaviors of a group of males and females in the
canopy at eye-level on our afternoon hike our full-day at Rustler Park.)
Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus)
Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria)
OldWorld Sparrows (Passeridae)
House Sparrow (I) (Passer domesticus)
AMPHIBIANS, REPTILES, AND MAMMALS
Woodhouse’s Toad (Bufo woodhousii)
Great Plains Toad (Bufo cognatus)
Chiricahua Leopard Frog (Rana chiricahaensis)
American Bullfrog (I) (Rana catesbeiana)
Ornate Box Turtle (Terapene ornata)
Pond Slider (I) (Tachemys scripta)
Sonora Mud Turtle (Kinosternon sonoriense)
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia wislizenii)
Zebra-tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides)
Greater Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus)
Elegant Earless Lizard (Holbrookia elegans)
Ornate Tree Lizard (Urosaurus ornatus)
Slevin’s Bunchgrass Lizard (Sceloporus slevini)
Striped Plateau Lizard (Sceloporus virgatus)
Southwestern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus cowlesi)
Desert Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus magister)
Clark’s spiny Lizard (Sceloporus clarkii)
Yarrow’s Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus yarrovii)
Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum)
Chihuhuan Spotted Whiptail (Cnemidophorus exsanguis)
Sonoran Spotted Whiptail (Cnemidophorus sonorae)
Desert Grassland Whiptail (Cnemidophorus uniparens)
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Canyon Spotted Whiptail (Cnemidophorus burti)
Tiger Whiptail (Cnemidophorus tigris)
Madrean Alligator Lizard (Elgaria kingii)
Mediterranean House Gecko (I) (Hemidactylus turcicus)
Gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer)
Sonoran Whipsnake (Masticophis bilineatus)
Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum)
Checkered Gatersnake (Thamnophis marcianus)
Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus)
Black-tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus)
Rock Rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus)
Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii)
Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)
Mexican (Apache) Fox Squirrel (Sciurus nayaitensis)
Arizona Grey Squirrel (Sciurus arizonensis)
Rock Squirrel (Spermophilus variegatus)
Round-tailed Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus tereticaudus)
Harris’s Antelope Squirrel (Ammospermophilus harrisii)
Cliff Chipmunk (Tamias dorsalis)
Bailey’s Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus baileyi)
Hispid Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus hispidus)
Desert Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus penicillatus)
Merriam’s Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys merriami)
Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys spectabilis)
Bat sp.
Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
Coyote (Canis latrans)
Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
Hooded Skunk (Mephitis macroura)
Collared Peccary (Peccari tajacau)
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
The taxonomy followed in the trip list is derived from Sibley (2003) and Curson, Quinn, and Beadle Warblers of
the Americas (1994) for birds. The taxonomy of reptiles and amphibians is derived from the classic Western
Reptiles and Amphibians by Stebbins (2003) and the excellent Amphibians and Reptiles in Arizona by Brennan
and Holycross (2006). The mammal list is from Mammals of North America by Kays and Wilson (2002).
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